Where does the phrase “table d’hôte” come from and What does table d’hôte mean?

June 1, 2014 by Karen Hill | Filed Under: Language

Lifted directly from the French over three hundred years ago, table d’hôte literally means “the host’s table.”

The original sense was that of a common table set for the guests at a hotel or other eating place, but from this has come the more usual meaning today, which is the complete meal served at a hotel or restaurant.